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Wesley Hyperbaric has been helping with the needs of people living with diabetes in South East Queensland since 1998. They look after patients with a wide variety of conditions – irradiation complications and diabetic wounds being our specialty.

The Advanced Wound Clinic at the Wesley Hyperbaric has recently expanded. This means more people living with diabetes can now receive expert wound care which can result in a greatly improved chance of healing to those problem wounds such as leg pressure ulcers.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy has also been proven to help long term sufferers of diabetes by helping with improved circulation and supply of oxygen to damaged tissue.

Non-invasive and pain-free, using the chamber at Wesley Hyperbaric may offer a solution to the current situation of people living with diabetes.

Diabetic pressure wound case study

The patient was a 53-year-old physically active insulin dependent diabetic with mild peripheral neuropathy. On admission, he had little understanding of the diabetic disease process.

He had not visited a podiatrist or an orthotist in the 21 years since he had been diagnosed with diabetes. In spite of his peripheral neuropathy, vascular studies revealed near normal arterial supply.

Culture results from a wound swab showed a heavy growth of Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

During the 24 hyperbaric treatments the patient had daily dressings, a course of oral antibiotics and consultations with both a podiatrist and an orthotist were arranged. The orthotist fitted the patient with adapted inner soles which accommodated the dressings. He was also given extensive diabetic education and his blood sugars were monitored on a daily basis.

At the completion of his treatment, the patient continued in our outpatient wound clinic for a further 2 months and healed completely. To prevent a recurrence of the wound he was fitted with appropriate work and casual shoes to off-load pressure. He is now back at work full-time.

Centrally located in Brisbane, we treat patients from as far afield as NSW and Far North Queensland, and through the generosity of the NSW and Queensland Government Travel Subsidy scheme, for the vast majority of patients, relocation for the duration of treatments is not as costly as expected.

If you are curious about what Wesley Hyperbaric can do for you give us a call on 07 3371 6033. If you have a patient who you think this might benefit from hyperbaric oxygen therapy or could make use of our advanced wound clinic please use our convenient online referral form.

Having a serious medical condition is something that requires your full attention. You should ensure whatever you do, it will deliver the results you are looking for. Medical procedures should be safe, proven to work and be supervised by qualified health care professionals.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is one area of medicine that has many options given to you, and sometimes the providers are not always equal. There are many small operators offering mild hyperbaric treatment using portable, inflatable chambers – sometimes they might even offer you the convenience of coming to your home. These are really not true hyperbaric chambers and the benefits of using them are very questionable.

Mild hyperbaric chambers are not able to replicate the same depth as a medical grade chamber. The lack of pressure and the level and quality of the oxygen given will limit the ability to encourage healing and growth of bone and soft tissue. There is also a major concern around safety – most of the mild hyperbaric chambers are operated by non-hyperbaric qualified operators – and the important safety checks and procedures may not be in place due to the small size and inexperience of the operators. But most of all there really is no evidence that these chambers do anything for your condition and you could be wasting your money by choosing them.

For over 20 years Wesley Hyperbaric has been successfully treating patients for a range of conditions. We offer a full medical grade service and product that is accredited and approved by most major health funds – and for certain conditions, Medicare. The fact that conditions are covered by health care funds is an indication that there is sufficient scientific evidence that the treatment works. Our service offers a non-invasive and safe process. All completed under the supervision of our expert and fully qualified technicians, nurses and doctors. And we are located within the Wesley Hospital medical precinct.

The Wesley Hyperbaric offers a completely different, and superior service than those of the small mild hyperbaric chambers. The following table gives a side by side comparison to really highlight to you that when making your decision to choose hyperbaric therapy for your condition there really is only one choice you should make:

Wesley Hyperbaric

Mild hyperbaric chamber

Usually Pressurised to 14 metres

Only capable of depths of 2.5 metres

100 per cent oxygen

Air (21 per cent oxygen 79 per cent nitrogen)

Encourages growth of bone and tissue

Does not grow bone and tissue

Accredited through research

No research or accreditation

Covered by major health funds and Medicare

No cover for treatment

Medical grade treatment

Treatment is not proven to work

Highly regulated industry

No qualification or license needed

Safety technicians and monitoring of conditions to ensure safety at all times

No provision of safety checks or monitoring of situations within the chamber

Arterial oxygen at 2.4 ATA 100% oxygen is 1,824 mmHg (normal air pressure is 157mmHg). This refers to how much oxygen is getting into the body, what is making the changes.

Safe in the knowledge that the staff are fully qualified hyperbaric medical professionals

Often a single operator, small business owner handling all the procedures and processes.

Why not take the time to read about the full range of conditions we treat at Wesley Hyperbaric. We have some case studies on our website too so you can hear about some successes we have had with our patients.

If you think you might need some more information, then please contact us and we can help you with your decision and get you on the right tracks to making a recovery.

Idiopathic Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss (ISSHL) is defined as hearing loss of at least 30dB occurring within 3 days over at least three contiguous frequencies.1

The most common clinical presentation involves sudden unilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, aural fullness and vertigo. The incidence is estimated at 8-15 per 10,0000 worldwide.2

There are currently over 100 publications available evaluating the use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) for treatment of ISSHL, including eight randomised control trials and a Cochrane meta-analysis.

On average, HBOT has been shown to impart a 19.3dB gain for moderate hearing loss and 37.7dB gain for severe cases. 3 This improvement brings hearing deficits from the moderate/severe range into the slight/no impairment range, a significant gain that can markedly improve a patient’s quality of life.

The rationale for the mechanism of action for HBOT in ISSHL is likely due to the high metabolism and vascular paucity of the cochlea. Tissue oxygenation of the cochlear structures occurs via diffusion from cochlear capillary networks into the perilymph and cortilymph.

When ISSHL is diagnosed, immediate referral to an ENT surgeon should occur. Oral steroids at 1mg/kg/day is a common initial dose tapering over the course of 2-3 weeks.

HBOT has been shown to be most effective if delivered within 2 weeks of hearing loss, with benefit possible up to 3 months post insult.7,8 Patients with a delay of greater than 14 days, advanced age and vertigo are however associated with poorer outcomes. 8

The Cochrane analysis of HBOT for ISSHL has shown a NNT of 5.3.3

A typical treatment regimen is of 10-15 treatments breathing 100% oxygen at 2.4ATA, during which routine pure tune audiometry is undertaken on a weekly basis to track changes in hearing acuity as a response to the treatment.

There is no medicare item number for treatment of ISSHL at this point in time, but the treatment is covered by Alliance health funds so there is no out of pocket expense for their clients.

Our unit will happily asses any referred patient with ISSHL. We can then discuss options and undertake treatment if required.

Dr Graeme Kay explains the medical evidence behind what we can treat.

Dr Graeme Kay

Doctor Graeme Kay is the director of a hyperbaric medicine facility. He has extensive post graduate medical experience and specialist credentials in primary care as well as diving and hyperbaric medicine. This makes him one of the most qualified and respected doctors for Hyperbaric Medicine in the region.

On a daily basis I am asked by patients who feel let down by the traditional medical establishment to treat their conditions. I almost never treat these people. I say almost because there is a role for research into treating conditions with novel therapies, but only under the guise of a formally structured research program with ethical consideration and approval.

I imagine that people with these conditions seek my facility because they have exhausted what they feel traditional medicine can give them.

Unfortunately there is no shortage of unscrupulous traders out there, purveying their modern miracle magical cure.

It is possible to some degree to trace back in the literature when the current deviation from accepted practice occurred.

In 2001 a randomised sham-controlled study of 111 children with Cerebral palsy (CP) who received either 40 HBOT treatments at 1.75 ATA, or 40 air sessions at 1.3 ATA (Sham) was published.1 Both groups were found to improve in their outcome measures but with no difference between the groups. This was ascribed to a participation effect by the authors, a finding that was supported by an independent scientific advisory committee.2

There was a group within the hyperbaric medicine community, which is not supported by the community at large, that interpreted this result as an active effect of pressure, even as low as 1.3ATA which is the equivalent of 3m Salt water of pressure or 30kPa. A second sham controlled study was published in 2012 with 49 children with CP enrolled and randomised to receive 40 HBOT treatments at 1.5 ATA or 40 exposures of 1.5ATA breathing a 14% fraction of oxygen (resulting in an equivalent inspired fraction of 21%, thus eliminating the possibility of in increased inspired PO2 being attributable to any effect). Again this study found significant improvement in carer reported disability inventory but with no difference between either group.3

Similar studies for the use of HBOT for mild traumatic brain injury have been conducted. In all these studies there were reported improvements beyond that expected, but no discernible difference between treatment groups. Again a small proportion of the hyperbaric medicine community have attributed this result to a physiological effect from exposure to increased pressure, whilst the majority of the community considers the results to be that of a participation effect. 4,5

As such, the majority of hyperbaric physicians across the globe are of the opinion that delivering ‘mild hyperbaric’ treatments of 1.3ATA breathing air, concentrated oxygen or pure oxygen, has no actual physiological effect. It could be argued that at best, it is a misguided poor interpretation of the data currently available, at worst a wilful and duplicitous disregard for scientific method, being used as rationale for requesting payment for a treatment that is proven to have no benefit.

As credible hyperbaric medicine practice currently exists in Australia, a hyperbaric medicine facility must be a comprehensive hospital based hyperbaric unit with ability to treat all presentations up to and including ICU level of care, and rostered staff including a doctor with extensive training in diving and hyperbaric medicine and nursing staff also suitably trained available 24/7 in order to collect Medicare rebate and in turn access private health funds.6

As such, asking the following questions prior to undergoing hyperbaric treatments may help to sort the woo from fact:

Is the condition being treated one of the 14 conditions the UHMS recognises as benefiting from hyperbaric treatments?7

If not, does a logical and mechanism exist that has been supported by research in human, animal or in vitro models?

What sort of treatment is being provided? If it is less than 2ATA of pressure, and if less than 100% oxygen is being supplied, then there is no evidence that treatment has any efficacy.

Is the treatment being provided by a trained doctor and nursing staff? If not, the facility does not comply to the Australian standard 4774.2 and is not eligible for Medicare subsidy.

Am I being asked to pay out of pocket for treatment? The majority of Medicare compliant facilities exists as part of public hospitals and require no out of pocket payments. The private facilities that are Medicare Benefits Schedule and AS 4774.2 compliant access Medicare and private health funds for payment for most but not all 14 UHMS recommendations. As such there is usually no out of pocket expense other than any hospital admission co-pay that the patient has negotiated with their fund on joining plus an assessment fee.

By reviewing the above queries, you should be able to satisfy yourself that the services being provided are being applied in an evidence based manner, by trained healthcare staff operating ethically as bound by AHPRA, in a facility that is compliant to the appropriate industry standards to ensure treatments are provided as safely as possible.

Surviving from cancer is a massive achievement for many. Today’s technology in radiotherapy makes treatment more effective and potentially less damaging due to the ability to focus on the area that needs to receive radiation. There is, of course, some instances where collateral damage occurs to tissue which can lead to complications occurring some time after treatment has completed.

For head and neck cancer sufferers who have undergone treatment using radiation there is a possibility of saliva gland damage, which causes a condition known as xerostomia or dry mouth. This can negatively affect the patient’s quality of life, especially after surviving cancer. Xerostomia leaves people with a dry mouth and the inability to produce enough saliva which can cause difficulty with talking, eating and loss of taste resulting in poor nutrition, increased risk of dental decay and the inability to sleep well at night. And unfortunately, xerostomia can develop into an irreversible and life-long problem.

Wesley Hyperbaric wants to help alleviate these symptoms and is conducting a trial to help establish hyperbaric oxygen therapy as a viable treatment in patients suffering from xerostomia. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy has been successfully proven to help with soft tissue damage caused by radiation to other areas of the body, bringing hope that it can also be effective for salivary gland damage. Our trial will continue into 2019 to gain more information and produce evidence supporting the effectiveness of the treatment for the condition in the future.

Signs of xerostomia

Problems with eating, swallowing and talking continuously

Difficulty eating certain dry foods such as cereal

Denture issues such as fitting, sores or palate issues

Loss of taste

An increase in the need to drink water – especially at night

Dental and mouth issues such as inflammation, increased caries and ulcers.

Dr Ohnmar Aung, at Wesley Hyperbaric, is the principal investigator for this trial and is looking forward to helping more people suffering from Xerostomia. If you are interested in taking part in this trial, you will be able to help us gather scientific evidence and receive the treatment for free. All that is needed is that you have had radiation to the head and neck area and are now suffering from xerostomia and the ability to commit to taking part in a six-week program. You could be on the road to recovery as well as helping other people, in the future, who are suffering from the same conditions.

Please get in touch with us for more information on our services and to find out what the next steps are to take part in the trial.

With an estimated 75,000 Australian’s living with inflammatory bowel disease and the numbers increasing each year there is good news around findings that hyperbaric oxygen therapy offers a solution.

As Australia’s pioneers in hyperbaric oxygen therapy, we have published a white paper on the topic. It covers the problems faced and offers up a solution complete with case studies to show the success in treating Crohn’s disease and also ulcerative colitis.

To find out more please access our white paper and learn more about how hyperbaric oxygen therapy can treat inflammatory bowel disease.

If you or a loved one are one of the 1.2 million people every year who are diagnosed with an invasive cancer then the chances are this has come with a treatment with radiation. Whilst treatment has significantly improved over the years the resulting side effects can sometimes take its toll on the patient’s quality-of-life.

The radiation can sometimes cause complications with nutrients – including oxygen – from passing through the blood vessel walls. This lack of essential nutrients unfortunately hinder the healing of damaged tissues.

Randomized controlled trials have shown hyperbaric oxygen therapy can improve over 70% of people treated

Soft tissue radiation injury is the most common condition treated at Wesley Hyperbaric

The good news is that Wesley Hyperbaric has over two decades of experience treating people who suffer from soft tissue radiation injuries. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is also proven to work most of the time.

So if you, or a loved one, are unfortunate to suffer from any of the conditions outlined above then we can definitely look at helping you get your life back on track. Get in contact today and find out what the next steps might be. Alternatively, speak to your GP or specialist about getting a referral.

The American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons (ASCRS) has recently released a study which looks at the treatments available for people suffering from radiation proctitis which strongly ranked hyperbaric oxygen treatment as a real solution.

Radiation is often successfully used in many types of cancer including anal, cervical, prostate and rectal. Despite the benefits, and often successful removal of tumours, collateral damage can occur to the gastrointestinal tract and the patient can be left suffering from chronic radiation proctitis. Despite advancements in technology which allow for more targeted radiation treatment, it is expected that post radiation injury is still likely to occur in some patients.

The study looked at several medical treatments available and hyperbaric oxygen treatment was one of the strongly recommended treatments based on having a moderate level of evidence. The breakdown of treatments, recommendations and level of supporting evidence is detailed below.

TYPE OF TREATMENT

GRADE OF RECCOMMENDATION

BASE ON

Formalin application is an effective treatment for bleeding in patients with CRP

Strong recommendation

moderate-quality evidence

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is an effective treatment modality to reduce bleeding in patients with CRP

Strong recommendation

moderate-quality evidence

Short chain fatty acid enemas are not effective in preventing or treating chronic hemorrhagic radiation proctitis and are not recommended

Endoscopic bipolar electrocoagulation, radiofrequency ablation, Nd-YAG laser, and cryotherapy are alternative treatments of rectal bleeding from CRP that have been insufficiently evaluated and are thus not recommended

Strong recommendation

low-quality evidence

Wesley Hyperbaric has had proven results for people suffering from radiation proctitis and other radiation injuries. If you would like to find out more about what we do and how we can help, then please contact us.

As from 1st November 2018 we will be increasing our fees and changing the way we bill your consultation and wound care accounts.

As a private specialist practice, we provide outstanding, advanced wound care to our outpatients and hyperbaric patients and, as such, we will no longer bulk bill our fees, we will be adopting the AMA doctor rates. Please see the table of fees below.

To make the Medicare claiming process easier for our patients we have installed an Integrated Medicare two way claim system through our medical software program.

We will receipt your services and your rebate will be paid to your account, usually overnight. You should be aware that the cost of treatment will be in excess of the amount Medicare will reimburse.

If you have any questions or would like more information about this please contact us to talk to one of our reception staff.

CONSULTATION DETAILS

AMA FEE

Out of Pocket

Wound Treatment (consumables) + doctor / specialist fee as outlined below.
You will pay for all your consumables used for treatment of your wound

To help celebrate 20 years in business the hyperbaric chamber, located in the Wesley Hospital, has recently undergone a major rebrand.

We are now called Wesley Hyperbaric – a much shorter and friendlier name than the previously titled “The Wesley Centre for Hyperbaric Medicine”. One thing we have decided to keep however is our link to the Wesley Hospital. We remain proud to be part of this great hospital and hope that we can continue to offer a fantastic service to both the Wesley Hospital and the entire region.

Some of the treatments that we have helped out with over the past 20 years include non-healing wounds such as diabetic wounds, venous leg ulcers and the treatment of non-healing flaps after surgery. We also treat soft tissue injuries and ORN after patients have undergone radiation therapy.

Outside of the hyperbaric chamber, one of our key offerings to the Wesley Hospital has been our Advanced Wound Clinic. Our expertise and access to the best and most advanced wound care products has seen huge successes in treatment of wounds in patients. We have recently expanded and have now doubled the capacity to treat problematic wounds – meaning we can treat more patients and offer the excellent and friendly service we are known for.

Our team of dedicated staff are always on hand to answer any questions you may have about our services and if you are a health professional looking for more information we are very happy to come out to your place of business to give a presentation.